Improvement in electro-magnetic car brakes



' 2Sheets=Sheet 1. P. F'. A. ACHARD.

ELECTRO MAGNETIC GAR BRAKE'. N0.59,a05. P atented'Nomzo, 1866.

firmada as;

NNNNNNNNNNNNN c.

y 2 sheets-sheet 2. F. P. A. ACHARD. K

- y ELECTRO MAGNETIG GAR BRAKE. Y No. 59,805. y vPatented Nov. 20, 1866.

w g/f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

FRANCO-is FERDINAND AUGUSTE nonnen, or `raars, FRANCE.

lMPROVEMENTlN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC CAR BRAKES'.

Specification forming part of'LettersPatent No. 59,805, dated November 20, 1866.-

To all .whom it myconcern;

B e it known that I, FRANCOIS vlninoriinnn AUGUSTE ACHARD, of Paris, France, have invented a new and Improved Electro-Magnetic Car Brake; and I do hereby declarel that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the saine, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings forming part of this speciicatiomin Which-l Figure l represents a sectional` side eleva` tion' of a railroad car provided with one of my brakes.

Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same.

Figs. 3, Il, 5, and 6 are details in a larger scale than the previous figures, to be referred to as the description progresses.

Fig. 7 is a plan of my invention whenopei`- ated by hand.

Figs. 8 and-9 are details of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts..

The object of this invention is to' usethel force Which is developed by the rotation o f the Wheels for the purpose of V'putting on the brakes.

For the purpose of transmitting the power from one of the axles' to the brakes, an eccen-v tric or cam, B, is keyed to said axle, which imparts an oscillating motion to the main lever, C, Which is hinged to the truck frame and held in contact with the eccentric by the action of a spring H.. l

The lever C vis furnished with a click, E, whichengages with the teeth of a ratchet wheel F, mounted onthe brake shaft M. To this shaft is firmly keyed a cylinder, N, which carries a quantity of copper-wire Wound betweenits iianges, and this electromagnetic cylinder is situated between two drums, 0 O,

which rotate loosely on the shaft until the flanges l l on their inner ends are attracted by the electro-magnetic cylinder, N, whereby said drums' are compelled to revolve with the shaft M. From vthe drums O G extends a three-ended chain, 4., over a guide roller which .has its bearings in suitable bearings secured to the truck frame, and thence round another pulley which is mounted in the endof aforked lever, 2, extending from a rock-shaft,3. This rock-shaft has its bearings in two bars supported by the ends of the car axles, and it is provided with four arms, which connect by suitable rods with the brake shoes, 5. In orde r to prevent the brakes from being applied prematurely, or as soon as the Wheels begin to rotate, the lever C is raised by the action of an electro-magnet, K, which is secured to the truck frame, and which connects with said lever by two slides orarmatures,' I. A constant current of .magnetisrn is passed around the electro-magnet, K, causing the same to attract the armatures and to raise the lever C to such a position vthat theeccentric B Will-not come-in contact with it.

The ends of the helices of the magnetic cylinder, N, and ofthe electro-magnet, K, are insulated in a small India-rubber tube, and they terminate in the bed plate of an electro magnetic switch of any desirable construction, which is secured in a convenient posi- -tion in theengineers stand oron the tender. When the engineer desires to apply the` brakes, he turns the switch so that the circuit of the electro-magnet K is opened and that of the magnetic cylinder N closed. As soon as this motion is made, the lever C descends upon the eccentric B, and the motion l of the axle is transmitted to the shaft M. At

the same time the anges 'of the drums 0 (l are attracted by the magnetic cylinder N,

andthe chain 4 Winds on said drums, thereby applying the brakes with considerable force, and with a strain which constantly increases until the motion of the wheels stops.`

` ln order to takeoff the brakes, the switch is returned to its original position, whereby the circuit of the magnetic cylinder N` is opened and that of theelectro-magnet K is closed. By this operation the lever C is raised from the eccentric B, and the anges of the drums O 0 drop off from cylinder N and the' Weight of the lever 2 causesthe brakes to drop off from the Wheels'.

The engineer is thus enabled to appl-y and take od the brakes at short intervals, and all .danger or injury which would be caused by a too' sudden application ot the brakes, is avoided.

'Tothe ratchet Wheel F, which is-mounted on the shaft M, is secured a tappet Wheel, A; and if the circuit of the electro-magnet, K, and also that of the' magnetic cylinder, N, are opened, the ratchet wheel F, together with the tappet wheel A, are caused to rotate, and, by the action of the tappets c', (see tig. 5) an oscillating motion is impartedto the lever, S, which is intended to connect to an alarm bellsecured to the head car. This bell indicates to the parties having charge of the train that the circuit is everywhere open; and said bell also sounds whenever the brakes are applied, until the rotation of the wheels ceases. But whenever, from any cause what ever, the circuit is opened while the brakes are to be applied, the bell continues to sound as long as the train is in motion.

1f desired, the lever C can be raised from the eccentric B by the action of a hand lever, b, which connects with said lever by a slotted slide, 7. By this lever the entire apparatus can be thrown outI of gear at' any desired moment.

If desired, the connecting wires may be so arranged that the circuits of the electro-inagnets K and N are opened and closed aut0` matically in consequence of the rupture of a ccupling or from other causesand for this purpose l have successively employed relay magnets of suitable construction, such for instance as those shown in fig. 4, to accmplish ,this purpose.

By placing a series of switches along the line, the persons `attached to the train and also the travellers are enabled to apply the brakes at any moment. At the same time,if itis desired to produce merely a signal,a texnpo'rary interruption of the circuitof the electro-magnet K wilLproduoe the desired result. The construction of the electro-magnetic cylinder N is shown in detail in figs. 5 and 6.

It consists of two concentering tubular or.

solidrings or cylinders, A1 and A2, of soft iron, which are firmly connected together by two copper rings B B1 fitted between the same so as to let their edges project beyond said cylin.- ders A1 A2 about three-fourths of an inch.

Between the two rings B B1 and lipon the inner cylinder A1 is wound a helix of copper wire or other good conductor of electricity, which lls the ent-ire annular space between the two cylinders. These cylinders and rings are firmly connected to two copper plates, Di D1, which are keyed on the shaft, the connection between said cylinders .and rings being eected by a series of keys, C1, of brass or othersuitable material, which .traverse the outside cylinder A2, the two rings, B1 and the' plates, D1. The conducting Wires arev carefully insulated, and they pass through the brass rings B1 and the end of the upper cylinder, A2; each being attached to a ring, E2,v which is insulated from the other ring by wooden cross-barsfixed on the outside cylinder.

' The power by which the brakes are forced up against the faces of the wheels may be reg. ulated by securing the hook, K1, from which the traction chain is suspended, to the end of a strong spring, R1, as shown in iig. 3 of the drawing, instead of fastening said spring will be gauged so that it yields and opens the circuit of the magnetic cylinder N whenever the strain on the chaine exceeds a certain limit.

Instead of operating my brakes by electricity, they may, however, also be operated by hand, and inthat case for the magnetic cylinder N a clutch box a is substitut-ed, (as shown in figs. 7 and 8,) which slides freely on the shaft, M, and can be thrown in gear witheither of the clutch -boXes b or c by means of a suitable hand lever 6.

An intermittent rotary mot-ion is imparted to the clutch box a by the eccentric B and ratchet wheel F, previously described; and by throwing said box in gear with either of the -boxesb or c, on which the traction chain is wound, the brakes are applied.

What I- claim as new, and desire lto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The eccentric and` lever C, in co1nbination with the magnetic cylinder N, flanged drums 0, and brakes '5, all vconstructed 'and operating substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The sliding armatures I, and hand lever 6, in combinationwith the electro-magnet K,

lever C, and eccentric B, constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose l set forth; y The above specification of my invention signed by me this th day of October, 1865.

FltANCOIS FERDINAND AUGUSTE ACHARD. Witnesses:

EDWARD r DEMOS.' 

